World equity markets and U.S. bond yields fell while gold rose on Thursday as investors favored safe-haven investments amid growing skepticism U.S. President Donald Trump, embroiled in controversy, would achieve his economic agenda. Adding to investor concerns was news that a van had slammed into crowds in the Spanish city of Barcelona, killing 13 people, according to media reports, in an attack police were treating as terrorism. U.S. dollar trading was volatile and U.S. Treasury yields fell on worries Trump will be unable to deliver on campaign promises such as tax reform, even as the White House knocked down speculation that Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, would resign.

World equity markets and U.S. bond yields fell while gold rose on Thursday as investors favoured safe-haven investments amid scepticism U.S. President Donald Trump, roiled in controversy, would achieve his economic agenda. Adding to investor concerns was news that a van had slammed into crowds in the Spanish city of Barcelona, killing 13 people, according to media reports, in an attack police were treating as a terrorism. The U.S. dollar clung to a tiny gain and U.S. Treasury yields fell on worries Trump will be unable to deliver on campaign promises such as tax reform, even as the White House knocked down speculation that Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, would resign.

The euro slid on minutes from the last ECB meeting showed policymakers are concerned about the rise in the value of the single currency, which as climbed by more than 10 percent against the dollar this ...